Apple Maps the Streets of Cyprus

From June 8 to 30, 2026, Apple Maps is undergoing a major update in Cyprus, along with data collection for training artificial intelligence. The company’s vehicles are operating on the streets of Nicosia, Limassol, Larnaca and Paphos, and from June 16 to 30, pedestrian operators with camera backpacks will join them in Nicosia and Paphos to capture pedestrian areas and narrow streets.

Special equipment collects three types of data: high-precision GPS tracks, photographs and LiDAR data for building 3D models. This allows Apple to refine road signs, speed limits, lane markings and the geometry of buildings. The footage collected is also used to train Apple Intelligence models, including the Image Playground tools and the Clean Up feature.

The company strictly follows privacy rules: before publication in Look Around mode, all faces and license plates are automatically blurred, and unblurred originals are not shared with third parties. Residents of Cyprus can also separately request additional blurring of their homes. The appearance of filming teams on the island is part of Apple’s global ground mapping program, which has been running since 2015, and signals an imminent expansion of Apple Maps capabilities in the region.